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Any "Non Slapping" Thumb Players?

jackajesusfreak

jackajesusfreak

Mar 5, 2009
1,154
20
72
#1
I have been playing 6 string guitars, off and on, for 47 years. Took up the bass in February of 2009. Started with a pick and after a few months, switched to using my thumb. I do not slap, I just use my thumb instead of a pick. Same way Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits do with their guitars, which I might add I would find very difficult to do! It's one thing to use the thumb on a bass guitar with more space between the strings and for the purpose of 'deadening' the sound as opposed to playing lead guitar with the thumb! By the way, I've tried the finger picking style, which I believe most bassists use, and find it very uncomfortable for me.
Jack
 
#3
Elrend said:
When playing the electric bass I use a 4-finger picking approach (Thumb, index, middle and ring) so I use my thumb among other fingers, if that counts.
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+1
Same here, I'll use my thumb, finger plucking, a pick or even slap/pop. Just depends on the tone and/or percussiveness I'm trying to achieve as well as other factors.
To conclude, yeah I use my thumb sometimes, although not exclusively.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that why many vintage fender basses and their reissues have the finger rest below the fretboard, I read something about it appealing to guitar-playing converts when electric bass was in it's infancy...
 
#4
When I play guitar I almost never use a pick. When I play bass I often do use a pick because of the style of music my band plays. I play bass finger style too though and when I do, I find myself using my thumb on the top and my first 2 fingers below. So to answer your question Jack, yes, play however you are most comfortable, there is no wrong way.
 
#5
Floyd Eye said:
When I play guitar I almost never use a pick. When I play bass I often do use a pick because of the style of music my band plays. I play bass finger style too though and when I do, I find myself using my thumb on the top and my first 2 fingers below. So to answer your question Jack, yes, play however you are most comfortable, there is no wrong way.
Click to expand...

Yes, the thumb, for now, is the most comfortable. It's interesting because I play bass solely for our praise band. I picked up some excellent pointers just recently on You Tube from a praise leader named Paul Baloche. Even though we play contemporary praise music, we approach our playing from a little different perspective. Our focus is much more on leading the congregation in worship opposed to performance. Now, don't misunderstand, there is an element of performance in what we do, as we want to sound as tight as possible, but the focus of what we do is not on us but on the praise and worship.
Either way, I really enjoy the bass and have learned so much in the last 2 years, much of the information right here at Talkbass! :hyper: :bassist:
 
#6
i've never really liked using picks. i don't really use my thumb because it feels awkward to me on bass, unless i'm striking two strings at the same time.

on guitar i use all my fingers except for my pinky, ha ha. but i started on bass so my fingers were just more familiar.
 
#11
Thumb playing sounds good, kind of soft and mellow. I've seen pleny o people playing with that technique. And, in fact, unless I'm wrong I believe that the "rest" near the G string on old precision basses was there so that players could hook their fingers and pull their thumb across the strings. I think Leo intended it to be played that way at least some of the time.
 

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